Safety lock construction



Aug. 18A, 1936. c. E. TURRELL 2,051,772

SAFETY LOCK CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. lO, 1935 @mais Tamm/ 1 ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 178, 19364 UNITED STATES SAFETY LOCK CONSTRUCTION Charles E. Turrell, Cleveland, Ohio, assigner to Edward A. Berk, Cleveland, Ohio, as trustee Application December 10, 1935, Serial No. 53,757 9 claims. (c1. 741-47) 'I'his invention, as indicated, relates to a safety lock construction. More particularly, it comprises a lock preferably of the cylinder type with pin tumbler elements wherein safety features are embodied in the structure to prevent release of the cylinder through lock picking operations of various kinds.

Heretofore locks of the pin tumbler type have been manufactured embodying pins of reduced cross section to render difficult an attempt to move the tumblers to unlocking position by means other than the key, but such constructions have brought about incidental action of an unfavorable character tending to cause the lock structure to deteriorate through chipping or jamming. Such structures also have not provided a complete pim tection even if they should operate perfectly in` the manner disclosed, inasmuch as a different type of lock picking operation could be used to vof the tumblers to unlocking position by any means other than the key.

Another object of the'invention is to provide a lock of the type referred to wherein the safety construction prevents successful .eorts to open the lock whether the picking operations are carried on by several different methods of procedure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lock of the pin tumbler type which will prevent the taking of animpression from which to form a key, as experts have found it possible to do with locks not having such safety construction.

A further object of theinvention is to provide safety elements for a lock of the character referred to which may be readily installed in a standard type of lock and thus supply the safety features to the lock without involving radical changes in the lock itself.

A further object of the invention is to produce a special type of safety pin member which will move in the recesses with a smooth sliding action, and without binding against the surfaces thereof, and without being subject to tilting or canting action at any stage of the movement of such member.

Other and further objects of the inventionwill appear in the course of the following description.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawing and the following description setting forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting,`however, but several of various forms in which the principle of the invention may be used. 5

In said annexed drawing:

Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view, taken along the line l-I, shown in 'Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, showing a pin tumbler lock of my preferred form of conl0 struction, with the key in position and the members all moved to the unlocking line;

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view, taken along the line 2--2 shown in Figure 1,1ooking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, with the key removed and the lockingipin and tumbler members in locking position;

Figure 4 is an enlargedfragmentary view of a portion of Figure 2 more clearly illustrating the 20 construction of the safety member;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the action of the safety' member when an attempt is made to apply lateral pressure to the cylinder and move the safety member into the recess of the body; and

Figure 6` is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the action of the safety member when an attempt is made to apply lateral pressure to the cylinder and move the safety member into the recess in the cylinder. l

As clearly shown in the drawing, the invention as applied to a pin tumbler lock of the cylinder type involves the cooperation of specially shaped pin elements with the usual pin actuating and positioning members provided in such constructions.

In the form shown in Figure 1, the cylinder I is formed with a series of parallel recesses 2 which are alined with a similar series of parallel re- 40 cesses 3 in the body portion of the lock. 'I'he body portion of the lock 4 may take variousforms and be provided with an escutcheon plate 5 and cylinder flange 6 of any desired type and size. The body of the lock is securely engaged within the casing of the door or other part to which it is to be applied, and the locking bar 'l `is preferably in the form of a projecting arm secured to the rearward end of the cylinder, but this likewise may take various forms in accordance with the use for which the lock is designed.

The recesses in the cylinder are constricted adjacent their lower ends to position the tumbler members in suitable relation to the key slot, the lower ends of the tumbler members 8 preferably 55 being rounded so as to ride over the serrations or alternate notches and projections of the actuating edge of the key 9. Each of the tumblers and a portion of the adjacent pin sections in the alined recesses normally will be positioned below the unlocking or shear line of the lock, as is shown in Figure 3. The usual coil springs II are provided in the recesses formed in the body of the lock abutting at one end against the bottom of ther recess which may be formed by a plug or closure plate over such recesses if desired. At their opposite ends the coil springs bear against the end pin members.

The pin members may take various forms, and the various combinations of pin membersY used in any lock, as Well as the number of such pin members, is a matter to be determined by the manufacturer.

In Figures 1 and 3 there is shown a series of five alined recesses, in the first of which a locking pin member I3 is shown havinga body portion of approximately the full diameter of the recess and with an end member Non the lower face of considerably less diameter than the diameter of the recess so as to provide an annular shoulder I5 adjacent the narrow lower member I4. The spring within the upper recess engages directly against the body member I3 and the tumbler employed beneath the locking pin may comprise a pair of tumblers or a single elongated tumbler member. By reference to Figure 3 it will be noted that the narrow portion I4 normally lies across the unlocking line of the device.

In the second pair of alined recesses, a pin member I6 is provided, having a body portion of substantially the full diameter of the recess and having an upwardly projecting narrowed section I1 surrounded by an annular shoulder I8. A short cylindrical section i9 serves as a spring abutment and also as a locking and registering member substantially filling the bore at the unlocking line when the key is withdrawn from the lock.

In the third or central of the alined recesses, a locking pin member 2li is shown, having a central area of approximately the full diameter of the recess and with end members 2I, 22 on the upper and lower faces, respectively, of considerably less diameter than the diameter of the recess so as to provide an annular shoulder 23 adjacent the narrow upper member 2i and an annular shoulder 24 adjacent the lower projecting member. A short cylindrical member 25 is positioned above the pin 2D to serve 4as a spring abutment. By reference to Figure 3 it will be noted that the narrow upper portion 2I normally lies across the unlocking line of the device.

In the fourth pair of alined recesses, a locking member 26 is shown, having a narrowed portion 2l on its under side and providing an annular locking shoulder 28 adjacent thereto. The body portion of the pin 26 will be normally disposed across the unlocking line as is shown in Figure 3, but the normal unlocking position of the pin requires the lifting of the same so as to bring the narrowed portion 2l of the pin above the unlocking line. Thus, in this pair of alined recesses an effort to drop the locking elements to the unlocking line would be prevented by the annular shoulder 23 engaging the margin of the recess at the unlocking line.

In the last pair of alined recesses a pin 3I of substantially the full diameter of the recess is provided, such pin serving as a registering means to hold the cylinder and barrel in alinement as the key is being inserted even though slight lateral tension is applied to the key while it is being engaged. v

It is to be noted that the advantageous results of my invention may be attained through the use of a lesser number of safety pin elements than is shown in Figures l and 3, and that either the pin serving as the spring abutment 24 or the pin 26 having an enlarged body portion disposed across the unlocking line would serve the same function as the standard pin 3l. It is desirable in the mechanism just described to provide one locking pin section with the narrowed portion projecting upwardly and another locking pin section with the narrowed portion projecting downwardly, so as to effectively prevent the opening of the lock through the use of a sharp blow to cause the members to move to the unlocking line.

In addition to the safety locking pins used in this construction, provision is made to prevent the insertion of thin shims between the body of the lock and the cylinder in the eort to bring the pins to the unloclLng position. This is accomplished by forming a recess 32 in the body of the lock preferably immediately behind the alined recesses for the locking pins, such recess having a. spring 33 disposed within the same which bears against a small pin 34. The pin 34 at its lower end normally extends across the unlocking line and into a groove 35 formed in the upper portion of the cylinder. The groove is preferably of short extent and is rounded at its ends to merge with the outer surface of the cylinder, as shown at 36- in Figure 2, so as to provide no obstruction to the free turning of the cylinder. The groove, if desired, could be formed as an annular groove extending completely around the same, but ordinarily the cylinder is turned through an angle of ninety degrees and would require no groove of such extent. Furthermore, the limiting of the groove to the upper portion of the cylinder permits the manufacturer readily to take apart the lock for repairs or replacements by inserting the key and turning the lock to unlocking position and then withdrawing the cylinder free of the pin 34.

The pin 34 thus serves to prevent anyone opening the lock by removing the locking bar I from the cylinder and endeavoring to lift the locking pins by means of a thin shim inasmuch as it would be impossible to insert a shim past the pin 34. It would also prevent anyone but the manufacturer of the lock from taking the same apart for purposes of repair or replacement unless they had a key and understood that the release of the barrel would be dependent upon the turning of the same to its limit of motion in a certain direction.

The parts which have been described as being of substantially the diameter of the recess should be accurately made so as to have a snug non-tilting fit, and yet be free from any tendency to bind or seize within the recess. With a construction thus made there is no tendency to chip and destroy the lock structure which is occasioned by such safety elements as are provided in locks wherein such safety elements must have a loose t in order to turn to a recess engaging position.

Where a lock is equipped entirely with safety devices of the character herein set forth it is desirable to provide in the last pair of alined recesses a locking member similar to the part 26 of the type shown in the fourth pair of recesses, wherein the narrowed portion is on the under side and the body portion of a size to snugly fit the recesses while such body is disposed across the unlocking line. This prevents any tendency of the cylinder to be thrownA out ofv alinement while the first series of tumblers and locking pins is being lifted .to unlocking position, and

provides for the final unlocking movement of this alining and registering member when4 the key is` at substantially its extreme limit of motion to full engaging position within the key slot. This provides for smooth action of the-key even though a large number of safety members with reduced sections are normally disposed across the unlocking line in the forward portion of the lock.

The action of the safety lock construction has been pointed out to some extent in connection with the description of the various parts. ever, it should be made clear that this construction, while serving as a safety device to prevent a lock being tampered with, is of such character as to involve no injury to the lock structure if such tampering operations.l are attempted. This is in contrast with structures wherein non-'pickthe least favorable position for engaging the upper shoulder on an enlargement with the margin of the recess in the body. l

With the device herein described, the locking member is translated or bodily shifted to a posi- Ation in a line parallel to the axis of the recess in the body and is held without canting in the recess in the cylinder and this insures displacement of the shoulder to a sufficient extent for it to have locking action against the lower margin of the recess in the body. Such action as has been described will take place upon the effort to unlock the cylinder through the upward movement of the safety device. Substantially similar action will take place where the effort is made to force all the locking members to their limit of motion in the" body of the lock and then cause them to drop various degrees as may be required until they are suitably alined along the parting or unlocking line of the lock structure.

The safety features of this mechanism also prevent making keys by the impression system which experts can readily accomplish with locks of ordinary construction. If an attempt is made to progressively le down notches on the impression system, when the locking device having the. reduced sections are reached, no satisfactory impressions will be registered as the annular shoulders which are not at the unlocking line will give the equivalent of the impressions ordinarily obtained.

If a reduced section is provided only on the upper portion of one of the locking members, this reverse action of the device may be used effectively in some instances to bring the parts to the unlocking position, but where a reduced section is provided not only on the upper side of one of the locking members, but also on the under side of one or more members, or where reduced shoulders are carried on each side of `the locking members, the action upon the loweringl off the safety member would be to cause the en- Howlarged portion thereof to be held in alinement with the recess in the body and for the cylinder to move slightly out of line so that the shoulder on the lower side would come into contact with the edge of the cylinder and thus be prevented from moving downwardly into the recesses in the cylinder to the proper position for unlocking the cylinder.

Thus it will be noted that whether the effort is made to lift the safety devices to the parting line or to lift them all past the parting line and then lower them to the parting line, that the safety locking action will take place, and that it will be impossible to bring all the necessary elements into alinement at the unlocking line without the use of a key to operate the same in the standard manner provided for.

As has been stated, the construction herein provided will prevent the manufacture of a key by experts through the use of the impression system, inasmuch as the tumbler cannot be moved.with certainty to the unlocking line and a key made by the usual impression methods would merely lift the safety members to engagement of their shoulders with the lower ends of the companion recesses and thus prevent the opening of the lock with a new key made by the impression system.

The construction with the concealed guard pin will also prevent the taking apart of the lock through the use of a thin shim by parties not having a key, so as to make a substitute key or make unauthorized changes in the locking elements. The guard in no way affects the unlocking operation when the proper key is used as the groove in which it engages permits free turning movement.

:iol

Other modes of yapplying the principle of my plained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A device of the character described having in combination, a stationary member having a plurality of parallel recesses, a movable member having a pluralityof parallel recesses adapted to be brought into alinement with the respective recesses of the stationary member, at least two pin tumbler elements in at least each of two pairs of alined recesses in said stationary and tion respectively and bearing on an end face of full diameter on the companion pin tumbler,

and having sliding transverse movement relav' pin tumbler elements in at least each of two pairs of aimed recesses in said stationary and movable members, each of said pin tumblers hav- 75 ing a body portion snugly fitting the recesses for sliding movement without lost motion and one of said pin tumblers of each pair having an extension portion of reduced diameter normally disposed across the unlocking line between the stationary and movable members in each direction respectively and bearing on an end face of fulldiameter on the companion pin tumbler, and having sliding transverse movement relative thereto when the movable member is turned to unlocking position, and at least one pair of alined recesses in the stationary and movable members having two pin tumbler elements of uniform diameter at the ends crossing the unlocking line and serving to hold the movable member in accurate center alinement preliminary to thev completion of the unlocking movement of the pairs of tumblers with extensions of reduced diameter.

3. A device of the character described having in combination, a stationary member having a plurality of parallel recesses, a movable member having a plurality of parallel recesses adapted to be brought into alinement with the respective recesses of the stationary member, means engaged in said recesses when in alinement to lock said members against relative movement, said locking means being movable to releasing position throughout said lfull series, and means to prevent tampering with said locking means comprising a member slidable within either of a pair of said alined recesses and of substantially the full diameter of such recesses and having a portion of reduced cross section on each of its end faces to engage across the unlocking line when said locking means is being tampered with and providing shoulders to engage against the margin of one of said recesses to lock said member against movement to unlocking position when subjected to lateral pressure.

4. A device of the character described having in combination, Aa supporting body member having a plurality of parallel recesses in axial alinement with a bore through said body member, a cylindrical locking element engaged in said bore and having a key slot and a plurality of parallel recesses adapted to be brought into alinement with the recesses in said supporting member, locking members slidably positioned within said recesses and adapted to have portions of said members disposed across the unlocking line between said cylindrical member and said supporting member, a predetermined number of said locking members filling said recesses to substantially their full width and other of said locking members having portions on each end of reduced cross'section projecting from central portions oi said members lling said recesses to substantially full width and normally positioned across the unlocking line and adapted to be moved to alinement with the unlocking line of said cylinder when actuated by a suitably shaped key engaged in said key slot.

5. A device of the character described having in combination, a supporting body member having a plurality of parallel recesses in axial alinement with a bore through said body member, a cylindrical locking element engaged in said bore and having a key lslot and a plurality of parallel recesses adapted to be broughtinto alinement with the recesses in said supporting member, locking members slidably positioned within said recesses and adapted to have portions of said members disposed across the unlocking line between said cylindrical member and said supporting member, the members crossing said line being of substantially the full diameter of said recesses in a certain number of pairs of said alined recesses and other of said locking members in intermediate alined recesses having reduced portions extending across the unlocking line in each direction respectively, means for moving said members engaged across said line to unlocking position when actuated by a key inserted in said key slot, and shoulders adjacent said portions of reduced cross section to prevent movement of said members to unlocking position when subjected to lateral pressure and actuated by means other than a key.

' 6. A device of the character described having in combination, a supporting body member having a plurality of parallel recesses in axial alinement with a bore through said body member, a cylindrical locking element engaged in said bore and having a key slot and a. plurality of parallel recesses adapted to be brought into alinement with the recesses in said supporting member, locking members slidably positioned within said recesses and adapted to have portions of said members disposed across the unlocking line between said cylindrical member and said support-A ing member, the members crossing said line being of substantially the full diameter of said recesses in a certain number of said alined recesses and other of said recesses having members of substantially the full diameter of said recesses but with portions of reduced cross section crossing said unlocking line in outward and inward direction respectively from the axis of said cylindrical locking element, means for moving said, members engaged across said line to unlocking position when actuated by a key inserted in said key slot, and shoulders adjacent said portions of reduced cross section to prevent movement of said members to unlocking position when subjected to lateral pressure and actuated by means other than a key.

7. A device of the character described having in combination, a, supporting body member having a plurality of parallel recesses in axial alinement with a bore through said body member, a cylindrical locking element engaged in said bore and having a key slot and a plurality oi' parallel recesses adapted to be brought into alinement with the recesses in said supporting member, locking members slidably positioned within said recesses and adapted to have portions of said members disposed across the unlocking line between said cylindrical member and said supporting member, the members crossing said line being of substantially the full diameter of said recesses in a certain number of said alined recesses and other of said recesses having members of substantially the full diameter of said recesses but with portions of reduced cross section on both end faces of said members crossing said unlocking line, key-contacting members for moving said members engaged across said line to unlocking position when actuated by a key inserted in said key slot, and shoulders adjacent said portions of reduced cross section to prevent movement of said members to unlocking position when subjected to lateral pressure and actuated by means other than a key.

8. A device of the character described having in combination, a supporting body member having a plurality of parallel recesses in axial alinement with a bore through said body member, a cylindrical locking element engaged in said bore. and having a key slot and -a plurality of parallel recesses adapted to be brought into alinement with the recesses in said supporting member, locking members slidably positioned within said recesses and adapted to have portions of said members disposed across the unlocking line between said cylindrical member and said supporting member, said locking members having portions o reduced cross section projecting in each direction, respectively, from members filling said recesses to substantially full width and normally positioned across the unlocking line and bearing against an end face of full diameter on an adjacent slidable member and adapted to be moved to alinement with the unlocking line of said' cylinder when actuated by a suitably shaped key engaged insaid key slot, means extending across the unlocking line between said supporting member and cylinder in non-locking relation to prevent access to the movable locking members, and means to release said access-preventing means. 1

9. A safety locking pin for a cylinder lock having a body portion of a size to snugly engage the recesses of the lock and having portions of reduced diameter at each end providing an o'set shoulder on the body portion spaced from each end to resist displacement when said pinis subjected to lateral pressure through turning force applied to the cylinder.

' CHARLES E. TURRELL. 

